The present invention relates to integrated circuits and, more particularly, to a magnetic device assembly for maximizing the size of the magnetic components for a predetermined power converter module by co-locating and sharing input, output, and auxiliary terminals between the substrates for the power converter and the magnetic components.
Conventional approaches to fitting a transformer and inductor into an integrated whole shrink their size in order to fit into a proscribed area within the larger mechanical extents of a power converter module. The size is further constricted by reserving additional space for additional power components to be placed as well within the mechanical extents of a power converter module. This is a compromise and as a result of the size being so reduced the power converter can only transmit the level of power as defined by the reduced size of these components, albeit integrated. The mind set of current state of the art arrives at the integrated transformer and inductor size only by allocating what area is left over and thus arriving at a certain reduced power level rating over what would otherwise be achievable.
Existing state of the art is such that the integrated magnetic components are reduced in size in order to fit within an area smaller than the power converter module extents. Furthermore, current state of the art devices have their electrical terminations and connections accomplished as well within that reduced area further reducing the size of these magnetic components.
The novel idea of utilizing the maximum extents of the power converter module and utilizing the input and output terminals as well allows for a much larger size for the magnetic components and so results in a higher power rating and greater efficiency.
As can be seen, there is a need for a magnetic device assembly for maximizing the size of the magnetic components for a predetermined power converter module by co-locating and sharing input, output, and auxiliary terminals between the substrates for the power converter and the magnetic components.
The present invention herein takes the bold approach of having the size of the integrated magnetic transformer and inductor extend fully to the maximum extents of the power converter module itself. In so doing it has maximized the size of these components and thus has maximized the power throughput of the power converter module. Additional power components necessary to the function of the power converter module are incorporated within the extents by fitting in windows, apertures and spaces made available at certain layers within the proscribed height that are not occupied [by design] by the magnetic core permeable elements that are part of the transformer and inductor. Furthermore, the integrated magnetic components have their terminal electrical connections defined as well by the input and output terminal connections of the power converter module. The terminal design allows for this to be accomplished. This novel idea enables the integrated magnetic elements to thus extend to the power converter module extents. There is no need to shrink the integrated magnetic components in order to accommodate their electrical connections. They can share the same proximate physical space as that of the power converter module itself.
One of the novel ideas is using the power converter maximum extents as defining the size of the integrated magnetic extents through co-locating the input and output terminals yields a larger size for the integrated magnetic device and so allows for a higher power rating and efficiency.
The concept of fabricating a transformer-inductor pair as one magnetic device and sharing a substrate has been utilized in some shape or form in the power module industry for many years. That concept consists of embedding the magnetic windings of this transformer-inductor pair within the substrate utilized by all the interconnections and traces of the power circuitry along with power and ground planes. In effect, one has what is referred to as an “embedded module”.
A power module using discrete components as the transformer-inductor pair had been, and continues to this day, to be a universally adopted method to connect to the power circuitry.